The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation on early warning systems and climate-resilient water management in vulnerable regions of Africa and Asia. The five-year partnership aims to integrate climate data with water management solutions to help communities anticipate, prepare for and respond to extreme weather events.
The MoU was signed by Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of WMO, and Mark Smith, Director General of IWMI. The agreement comes at a critical moment, as climate extremes intensify across the globe. Events such as Cyclone Ditwah, the devastating floods in Pakistan, and prolonged droughts in parts of Africa have highlighted the growing risks posed by climate variability and change. In many vulnerable regions, existing water and climate infrastructure remains insufficient to withstand these shocks.
A central pillar of the MoU is the integration of climate and hydrological data for disaster risk reduction, bridging climate science with applied water management
“With increasing extreme weather, water and climate-related events worldwide, the collaboration with IWMI is important to help countries be more prepared, especially through advancing the Early Warnings for All initiative. This MoU will promote strategic partnership and collaboration on emerging technologies and tools and services,” said Saulo.
The partnership will focus on five key areas designed to strengthen global climate and water resilience. A central pillar is the integration of climate and hydrological data for disaster risk reduction, bridging climate science with applied water management solutions. This approach will help countries move more effectively from early warning to early action, reducing the impacts of floods, droughts and water scarcity.
WMO and IWMI will also work to integrate socio-economic research into climate services, ensuring that early warning systems are more responsive to the needs of farmers, water managers and vulnerable communities. The collaboration will support the scaling of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve forecasting, monitoring and decision-making for climate and water risks.
Strengthening national capacities is another priority under the MoU. Through joint projects, training and policy support, the partnership will help countries improve the delivery and use of climate and water services. The agreement also creates opportunities for coordinated engagement with global initiatives such as Early Warnings for All, while mobilizing climate finance to deliver investment-ready, locally relevant solutions for climate adaptation and disaster risk management.
“Through this MoU, IWMI will work closely with the World Meteorological Organization to strengthen preparedness for floods, droughts and water scarcity by leveraging early warning systems, innovative technologies, tools and applied research,” said Smith.
The signing brought together IWMI management, representatives from WMO and key partners, underscoring a shared commitment to advancing climate-smart water management and protecting lives, livelihoods and ecosystems in a changing climate.
